Who Should I Start? Roschon Johnson or Riley Nowakowski


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.0 2.8 0.1 0.2 0.9 0.0

Roschon Johnson News

Roschon Johnson Could Step Into Week 1 Role

Tuesday, September 8, 6:17 AM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson could have a larger role as a backup to D'Andre Swift because of an injury to Kyle Monangai. Johnson has been impressive in camp amidst Monangai's injury struggles and even earned the eye of new offensive coordinator Press Taylor. Ariana Pensy of the Bears Wire wrote about Taylor's praise of Johnson this off-season, writing, ""As Kyle goes down and Roschon's numbers increase and he got more opportunities, he proved to us that he's trustworthy. He can be in those situations if it comes down to it where we need him to carry a heavier load than we expected while being involved in special teams. That's something he's done well." Monangai returned to practice on Monday reportedly but is dealing with a hyperextension of his right knee. Should Monangai miss time, the Bears have faith in Johnson as a backup.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.4 0.4 0.0 0.6 4.7 0.0

Riley Nowakowski News

Steelers Select Riley Nowakowski at No. 169 Overall

Saturday, April 25, 11:23 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Indiana tight end prospect Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nowakowski caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Hoosiers' national championship-winning offense last year. He also got involved as a fullback, scoring two rushing touchdowns. We could see him take on a similar hybrid fullback/tight end role in Pittsburgh, serving as the team's replacement for Connor Heyward, who signed with the Raiders this offseason. Assuming that's the case, Nowakowski doesn't have a clear path to fantasy relevance. He can be avoided in most fantasy football drafts.


Roschon Johnson vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Johnson and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Roschon Johnson is projected to score 1.0 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.4 points.